Amtrak trains to, from Portland delayed due to track inspection

An Amtrak train headed to Portland has been delayed near Vancouver, Wash. for about three hours as inspectors check the tracks, according to Amtrak.

The line between Vancouver and Chehalis, Wash., was taken out of service after officials received reports of tampering with the line, said Gus Melonas, spokesman for Burlington Northern Santa Fe, which owns the tracks.

Nine trains, including freight and Amtrak, were halted during the inspections.

"We have determined after a thorough inspection that the line is safe for operation," Melonas said Monday afternoon, adding that inspections would continue throughout the evening.

Trains are still operating "below normal speeds," Melonas said, and delays were possible into the evening depending on later inspections.

The Amtrak 501 Cascades train was running about three hours late with no estimate for when it will resume, said Amtrak spokeswoman Vernae Graham. The train is headed to Portland and Eugene.

In addition, the 506 Cascades train, which was due to head north at 12:15 p.m. from Portland, was also delayed.

Graham said the 11 Coast Starlight also was delayed leaving Centralia, Wash.

Melonas didn't elaborate on what the tampering reports entailed, but said an internal police investigation was ongoing. The Cowlitz County Sheriff's Office said about a dozen locations in a 60-mile stretch were tampered with, and local law enforcement agencies were working with railway investigators.